Did I Permanently Screw Myself?

Pharma / TRT Testosterone Replacement
1

Hey T forums, loooooong time lurker finally got the energy to make a post. I’m a little worried about my regimen and progress here, so here goes.

I’m a 24 year old male who’s been on HRT since age 18. Secondary hypogonadism. In the interest of fertility preservation, my doc actually put me on hcg and FSH, but I could not control my E2 levels, even with arimidex dosage of 1 mg / day (which I know is CRAZY high). When I finally was able to have E2 in an acceptable range, my T was far too low and I started to feel really awful. What I’ve decided to do is freeze my semen, just in case, and go on good ol’ TRT.

My regimen was hcg injected subcutaneously ED at 1,000iu.

Earlier labs (~2 year ago) looked like this:

Total T: 849 ng/dL
E2: 93 pg/mL

Add in the arimidex and tested about a year later, and looked almost exactly the same.

We decided to lower the dose of hcg to 500iu and the labs looked like this (~3 months ago):

Total T: 370 ng/dL
E2: 23 pg/mL

Seemed to be an ongoing struggle; lower the E, lower the T.

Obviously, I felt like shit during this time, whereas when my T was high, I didn’t feel great, but I kind of just accepted the fact that that was how I was going to feel - never back to my old self, just good enough to function. Could still achieve an erection and have decent sex, even though I barely had anything resembling a libido.

Now I realize that isn’t good enough for me and I want to get back to how I’m supposed to feel. How I haven’t felt in almost 8 years.

My current regimen is T shots, twice a week, 250iu hcg EOD, and retesting in 2 months to see if an AI is necessary. The only thing that worries me is, after doing some research on the “newbies” section KSman always points to, is the down-regulation of androgen receptors due to too much E2.

Can this be reversed? I don’t care if it takes more time than normal due to my doctor’s (and my) stupidity, I just want to have my old energy and sex drive back. Have I permanently down-regulated my androgen receptors?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

2

Anybody? Any knowledge on the subject?

3

I think you’re okay with the T replacement. Your hCG dose was too high and as KSman often points out, high dose hCG/SERM dosing over produces LH and leads to high levels of aromatase inside the testes where anastrozole or any AI can’t control T to E conversion.

I think with your current protocol you should feel fine provided you manage your e2. You could have started with 1mg/week anastozole in divided doses on injection days and take it from there after your first lab on TRT to manage anastozole and T dosing.

4

Thank you, gunner! The plan is to start with the anastrozole if needed. The hospital I get my lab work done provides a super sensitive E2 test. If my levels are above optimal range, the anastrozole will be dissolved in everclear and dosed that way (more accuracy for such a small dose).

But I should feel ok? Even though I really haven’t in so so long? That’s great news :slight_smile:

5

Yes, hCG was too high and you had problems caused by a doctor who did not know any better. Few docs do.

250iu hCG SC EOD was shown to be a good LH replacement dose.

Please see these links found here: About the T Replacement Category - #2 by KSman

  • advice for new guys
  • things that damage your hormones
  • protocol for injections
  • finding a TRT doc

Before TRT, did your doc check prolactin levels to see if you were hypo because of a prolactin secreting pituitary adinoma? At your age, low T is a symptom, not the disease.

6

Prolactin levels were tested and I don’t remember the numbers (this was ~6 years ago), but I remember referencing them and them being normal.

I understand that the low T is a symptom rather than the disease itself, but we could not find another cause. Also, I’ve been on HRT for 6 years now, so by this point, I’m pretty positive that I’m completely shut down, so too late now… TRT it is.

I just want to know if it’s likely I’ll feel normal again :frowning:

7

Suggest TRT:

50mg T cyp/eth injected twice a week using #29, 0.5ml, 1/2" insulin syringes
0.5mg anastrozole at time of injections
250iu hCG SC EOD to preserve your testes, using above syringes or #31, 0.5ml, 5/16"

High dose hCG risks desensitization of LH receptors.

8

That’s exactly what I’m doing, but with #22 for the T eth. Doesn’t really hurt and I rotate between 6 injection sites, so 3 week rotation. I also don’t have the anastrozole yet, but I can do that regimen instead of my planned one.

Will that better stabilize E2?

Also, what about subcutaneous T injections? I’d like to shoot every day if possible, but would only feel comfortable doing so with subcutaneous injections.